Researchers investigated the role of the focal adhesion protein actopaxin in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis. They found that actopaxin was frequently overexpressed in HCC patients who developed metastases. Suppressing actopaxin impaired HCC metastasis in cell lines and mouse models. Downregulation of actopaxin in HCC cells also enhanced their chemosensitivity. The researchers conclude that actopaxin plays an important role in HCC progression and metastasis, and suppressing it could help combat metastasis and chemoresistance in HCC.

1. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology 10, 260 (2013); published online 2 April 2013; doi:10.1038/nrgastro.2013.58
HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA
Actopaxin has a role in HCC metastasis
Previous studies have shown that
actopaxin, a focal adhesion protein, is
involved in cell migration, invasion and
matrix degradation, which are important
steps in cancer metastasis. Owing
to these findings, Roberta Pang and
co-workers from the University of Hong
Kong felt confident that this protein
might have a role in hepatocellular
carcinoma (HCC) metastasis and
decided to investigate their theory.
The researchers used three lines
of investigation in their study: first,
they examined actopaxin expression
in samples from patients with HCC;
second, they investigated whether
actopaxin regulates cellular processes
that lead to metastasis (such as cell
migration and invasion) in an HCC cell
line; and third, the researchers studied
the effects of actopaxin repression on
HCC metastasis in vivo.
Actopaxin was found to be frequently
overexpressed in patients with HCC,
and overexpression correlated with the
development of metastases. Suppression
of actopaxin was found to impair HCC
metastasis in the cell line and the mouse
models. Moreover, downregulation of
actopaxin in the HCC cell line enhanced
the chemosensitivity of these cells.
The authors are hopeful that actopaxin
might be a potential therapeutic target
in HCC. “Data from this study provide
concrete evidence of an important role
of actopaxin in HCC progression and
metastasis,” says Pang. “We believe that
further work on actopaxin suppression
will be beneficial for combating metastasis
and chemoresistance in HCC, and
hopefully in other types of cancer.”
Isobel Leake
Original article Ng, L. et al. Suppression of actopaxin
impairs hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis through
modulation of cell migration and invasion. Hepatology
doi:10.1002/hep.26396
NATURE REVIEWS | GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY
© 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved
VOLUME 10 | MAY 2013